![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_51865118.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "FAA MOSAIC Rule Fully Implemented")
![My 36 year old clipboard from when I started at Boeing. Engineering ruler and fastener/fastener hole cheat sheets. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Liaison_clipboard.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "What Is a Liaison Engineer?")
![At Sun ‘n Fun 2026, Viking Aircraft Engines surprised the crowd with its first complete kit — the V-42, a high-wing twin powered by two Honda-based engines. Here’s an early look. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/P1020293.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Viking V-42 Twin")
![A STOL CH 750 [Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/STOL-CH-750.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Why Are So Many Airplanes Yellow?")
![A Zenith STOL CH701 on Zenair amphibious floats rests on a sandbar on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. [Credit: Zenith Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/zenair-floats-STOL_CH_701a-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Zenith STOL CH 701 at 40: The Iconic ‘Sky Jeep’ Design Audit"){kind=tracking}
Hose Protection
Ishmael Fuentes shows you how to protect and cool the hoses in your engine compartment by making a firesleeve.
Aero ‘lectrics
Heat and avionics don't get along all that well. Rather than installing a fan that runs all the time, Jim Weir suggests building and using a fan that runs only when you need it.
Combating Carb Ice
Barnaby Wainfan examines a sneaky and sometimes little understood cause of in-flight scares and engine failures: carb ice.
Flight Review: Jabiru J230 Light Sport
Marc Cook flies the nimble, LSA-compliant Jabiru J230, and finds the two-seater offers a smooth ride with a decidedly Outback attitude.
Flight Review: Horse Perennial
LeRoy Cook flies Larry Kinder's award-winning Mustang II, a fast and fun homage to the legendary P-51 Mustang.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook reflects on the past years celebration of KITPLANES first quarter century, and finds that predictions for the next 25 years don't come easily.
What’s New
CHR International acquires the Safari helicopter kit, formerly known as the Baby Belle. Flight Data Systems unveiled its T-30 digital tachometer. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Down to Earth
Amy Laboda discovers that a newly installed EFIS, six-weeks away from her RV-10 and an acute caffeine deficiency challenge her inner student.
Experimotive
Ben Haass STOL Zenith 801, featuring a Ford V-8 auto conversion, made quite a first impression at AirVenture 09. This month, he tells Rick Lindstrom what makes it all work.
Light Stuff
Dave Martin revisits the Evektor SportStar, and even after a three-year hiatus, he found the Max IFR to be a forgiving and delightful airplane.
In Case You Missed It
Chasing the Elusive Thread
Chasing a thread (B) on the lathe involves engaging the feed system to...
Design Process: Airfoils
Once the size and planform of the wing have been determined, it’s time to choose (or design) the airfoil.
25th Anniversary: Change Is Good
At AirVenture 2009, Amy Laboda took the opportunity to talk with 12 key innovators in the world of Experimental aviation, with one question in mind: What do you think has been the most significant change in homebuilding aircraft in the past 25 years?
